Michelle Zappas 
Clinical Associate Professor Dept. of Nursing at the School of Social Work | USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work
Los Angeles, CA, UNITED STATES
Nursing expert, focusing on health care for vulnerable populations across the lifespan.
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Biography
Michelle Zappas is a clinical associate professor in the Department of Nursing, where she teaches a course on clinical management of adult patients. She currently serves as a per diem nurse practitioner at the Saban Community Clinic in Los Angeles.
Prior to joining USC, she was an assistant clinical professor in nursing at Columbia University. She also worked as a nurse practitioner at the medical center, providing primary medical care to the university’s health sciences students. In addition, she served as a family nurse practitioner and director of nursing at a community-based clinic in New York’s South Bronx. There she worked to provide evidence-based, preventative and cost-effective health care to a diverse patient population across the lifespan.
Zappas received her bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in nursing practice from Columbia University. She earned a bachelor’s in animal physiology and neuroscience from the University of California, San Diego.
Education (4)
Columbia University: DNP, Nursing Practice 2012
Columbia University: MSN, Nursing Practice 2009
Columbia University: BSN, Nursing Practice 2007
University of California, San Diego: BS, Animal Physiology 2001
Areas of Expertise (6)
Nursing Science Education
Women's Health
Health Care for Vulnerable Populations
Nursing Practice
Dermatology
Health Care for Adult Patients
Industry Expertise (8)
Social Services
Education/Learning
Health Care - Providers
Health and Wellness
Research
Health Care - Facilities
Health Care - Services
Professional Training and Coaching
Links (1)
Languages (2)
- English
- Spanish
Media Appearances (3)
5 Things You Didn’t Know About Eating Disorders, and How to Seek Help.
USC News
2018-02-28
5 Things You Didn’t Know About Eating Disorders, and How to Seek Help.
A Nurse Practitioner Brings Her Clinical Experience to Life for FNP Students.
Department of Nursing at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work online
2017-11-06
A Nurse Practitioner Brings Her Clinical Experience to Life for FNP Students.
Know Your Rights: Encouraging Undocumented Immigrants to Seek Health Care.
Department of Nursing at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work online
2017-06-28
Know Your Rights: Encouraging Undocumented Immigrants
Presentation Style
Availability
- Keynote
- Moderator
- Panelist
- Workshop Leader
- Host/MC
- Corporate Training
Research, Publications & Presentations (6)
The importance of Integrative Health in primary care: Western medicine will only take you so far!
Zappas, M., & Granger, T.
2018-06-11
Podium presentation at the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners 2017 National Conference, Philadelphia, PA.
Use of a multifaceted team-based approach in preparing the next generation of advanced practice nurses.
Kirkland, T., Zappas, M., Jones-Holley, M., Whitely, C., O’Neill.
2018-04-09
Podium presentation at the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties 44th Annual Conference, Indianapolis, IN.
Guided inquiry learning in online graduate courses: The cycle of learning.
Granger, T., & Zappas, M.
2018-04-10
Poster presentation at the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties 44th Annual Conference, Indianapolis, IN.
Using a patient panel of case studies to teach across the FNP curriculum.
Granger, T., Zappas, M., Walton-Moss, B., & O’Neill, S.
2018-04-11
Podium presentation at the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties 43rd Annual Conference, Washington D.C.
The dermatologic detective.
Zappas, M.
2018-03-13
Podium Presentation at the California Association of Nurse Practitioners 2018 National Conference, San Diego, CA.
International Travel in 2017: What to know before they go.
Zappas, M.
2017-03-14
Podium Presentation at the California Association of Nurse Practitioners 2017 National Conference, San Francisco, CA.
Research Articles & Publications (9)
Managing adolescents with type II diabetes: Promoting a healthy lifestyle.
The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 13(4), e171-e176.Zappas, M., & Granger, T.
2017-01-02
Managing adolescents with type II diabetes: Promoting a healthy lifestyle.
Use of incretin therapy in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus
The Journal for Nurse Practitioners2017 Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 inhibitors are 2 of 6 second-line medication options in diabetes management according to the 2016 American Diabetes Association guidelines. Providers must take many factors into consideration when choosing a treatment regimen, including patient preference, cost and insurance coverage, efficacy, and tolerability. Side effects, such as hypoglycemia and weight gain, often contribute to lack of control and poor adherence. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 inhibitors are well-tolerated options that improve glycemic control with a low incidence of hypoglycemia and weight gain. In this article we review the similarities, differences, advantages, and disadvantages of the incretin therapies.
Using a patient panel of case studies to teach across the FNP curriculum.
Journal of Nursing Education. (In Press)Granger, T., Zappas, M., Walton-Moss, B., & O’Neill, S.
2018-09-01
Using a patient panel of case studies to teach across the FNP curriculum.
Managing adolescents with type 2 diabetes mellitus
The Journal for Nurse Practitioners2017 Over the past 3 decades, type 2 diabetes mellitus in adolescents, those between the ages of 12 and 18 years, has gone from unusual to increasingly common. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes in youth increased by 35% from 2001 to 2009 and has continued to rise. This rise in prevalence is attributed to the increase in pediatric and adolescent obesity. The aim of this article is to provide the nurse practitioner with the tools necessary to treat this unique population using a holistic approach. We address information regarding lifestyle and medical management, growth and development, and the social determinants of health.
The use of Anti-Retroviral Therapy in the Prevention of HIV Transmission among Serodiscordant Couples.
Clinical Scholars ReviewMichelle Zappas
2013-01-01
Anti-Retroviral Therapy in the Prevention of HIV Transmission among Serodiscordant Couples.
A 44-year-old female with metastatic cancer pain
Oncology Nursing SocietyUlysse, F. & Peters, M.
2012-01-02
A 44-year-old female with metastatic cancer pain.
Natural history of pain following Herpes Zoster
PainThyregod, H.G., Rowbotham, M.C., Michelle Zappas, Possehn, J., Berro, M., Petersen, K.L.
2006-01-03
Natural history of pain following Herpes Zoster
Assessment of cutaneous nociceptor function by capsaicin response test during and after acute herpes zoster
55th Annual Meeting, American Academy of Neurology, Honolulu, Hawaii. Neurology, 60(5), A155.Petersen, K.L., Peters. M.M, Reda, H.M., Berro, M., Rowbotham, M.C.
2003-03-04
Assessment of cutaneous nociceptor function by capsaicin response test during and after acute herpes zoster
Symptoms suggesting reflex-sympathetic dystrophy following acute herpes zoster
22nd Annual Scientific Meeting, American Pain Society, Chicago. The Journal of Pain, 4(2), 14.Berry, J., Peters, M.M., Rowbotham, M.C., Petersen, K.L.
2003-01-06
Symptoms suggesting reflex-sympathetic dystrophy following acute herpes zoster
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